Criticizing the comments of state chief minister Neiphiu Rio and home minister Imkong L. Imchen, post-poll results, the NPCC today said both chief minister and home minister were Congressmen for many years and that they groomed their leaderships in Congress.“Now, they are talking as if the Congress is untouchable. Such hypocrisy has no place in the eyes of the intellectual Naga public. It looks like the winning syndrome has confused the NPF leaders,” said NPCC president S. I. Jamir in a statement.Drawing attention to Rio’s purported remark that “contest was not against the Congress but against the policies and programs of the political party contesting the by-poll”, the NPCC said it was like “trying to separate the soul from the body.”“Rio should spell out clearly what are those policies and programs of the Congress,” S.I. Jamir said, and demanded that Rio should also tell the people what made him remain in Congress for so long if he thought the policies and programmes of the Congress were “antithesis to him.”S.I Jamir said: “public memory is not very short as to forget that the number two cabinet minister in the erstwhile Congress regime had usurped his mentor and deserted the party that had groomed him on the eve of 2003 general election only because he coveted the chief minister’s chair.”Also, taking on home minister Imkong L. Imchen purported remark that NPF won by-election because of the Naga issue, the NPCC said his remark made a “mockery of the Naga political issue.”Asking what was the difference between the NPF and other political parties on Naga political party, the NPCC said Imchen should spell out clearly in what ways the Congress has been always against the Naga political issue.“Did he mean that the other Nagas affiliated to the Congress party had not contributed anything to the Naga cause?” queried S.I Jamir and said Imchen should not forget that there are many Nagas who had joined Congress party after many years of national service due to “political compulsion” and there are also other Congressmen whose fathers and brothers had fought and died for the Naga cause.“Will he tell how many from his bloodline were in the national service during the turbulent times?” S.I jamir questioned.Further, querying which Naga political party and leaders were not concerned with the problem that the issue remained unresolved till today, the NPCC said “did he mean Naga political issue is minus the members of Congress party.” Asking what was the need for the Joint Legislators’ Forum on Naga political issue, the NPCC said Imchen should stop or at least the chief minister should stop him from “double-talk.”Further, taking on chief minister’s purported comment that Congress did not trust the state’s own forces, the state Congress president said the allegation was an “alibi to cover up its own nefarious design on security deployment.”The state government, S.I Jamir said had to come up with one or other explanation to ECI, which he said had questioned the “illogical deployment” of central paramilitary forces in those places.“What had the Intangki forest got to do with the by-election?” he asked.NPCC chief also said that deployment of other companies of CRPF in neighboring districts to prevent infiltration of underground elements was a farce “when save passage was already given to one group.”“On being directed by ECI, the CRPF companies from Tuensang, Wokha, Zunheboto and Peren were brought to Mokokchung on the morning of 6th May only,” reiterated the NPCC.NPF ridiculesIn a leaning attack on the leadership of the NPCC and the CLP aftermath their defeat in the by-poll, the ruling NPF on Saturday said that their (Congress) recent struggle to be politically relevant was “just an attempt of publicity stunt.”The NPF press bureau said that the “trademark” of the Congress party to blame their political adversaries in all fronts has been “spectacularly incompetent” and that it was yet to see as to what would be the “moral lecture” of the NPCC on the recent Aonglenden by-election episode. NPF observed that the Congress party in Nagaland, since the approval of the Congress candidate by their party high command which was duly recommended by the NPCC, has been trying to champion the political morality of the Nagas.The NPF wondered if the NPCC president and CLP Leader would shoulder the responsibility for the defeat of their party candidate or throw the blame only to the NPF.“It is perhaps their decision for the heads to roll!” the NPF said indicating the need for change in Congress leadership.